California once had one of the finest education systems in the nation. Now, the state lags behind most others on measures of academic performance, including ranking lowest on test scores for fourth grade reading and third lowest on eighth grade math. Moreover, California’s achievement gap is pervasive and persistent, with Latino and African American children continuing to trail behind their white peers. If current trends continue, California is forecasted to have a shortage of one million college graduates by 2025, when 41% of all California jobs will likely require a bachelor’s degree but only 35% of Californians will have one.

Rebuilding a quality K-12 education system in California will prepare today’s children for tomorrow’s workforce, putting the state on the path to a sustainable economic recovery.